


Your Past Does Not Define You

by ManlyQuail



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, F/F, First Meetings, Rescue, Spoilers: Volume 8 (RWBY), Volume 8 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:20:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28238337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManlyQuail/pseuds/ManlyQuail
Summary: Rescued from abusive conditions, Cinder Fall finds herself overwhelmed now that she's finally at the steps of Atlas Academy. To her surprise however, she quickly comes across a person who not only understands her horrible past, but may be willing to try and help her find her way past it and towards a better future.
Relationships: Cinder Fall/Winter Schnee
Comments: 10
Kudos: 58





	Your Past Does Not Define You

A lone huntsman brushed his hands through greying locks of hair as he strolled into the Glass Unicorn, a pristine hotel located in Atlas. He'd spent a great deal of time at the hotel, having found a girl with surprising potential working within during one of his stays, and had gone out of his way to train her in secret in the hopes she'd one day become a Huntress. This night in particular was special, and as he stepped through the doors to the main floor he did his best to suppress a smile. However, as he walked towards the front desk that was normally manned by the owner of the establishment or one of her daughters, he was greeted not by staff, but by silence. He frowned slightly, glancing side to side in hopes to see  _ someone _ , but still he only found more silence.

“Guess they’re taking a break?” Speaking to himself, he rested his forearms on the wide wooden surface, his brown eyes rested softly on a sign reading  _ ‘WE DO NOT SERVE FAUNUS’ _ with a circle crossed silhouette head of a fox plain to see. His lips curled slightly, a distaste for the discriminations that was still so prevalent in Atlas that such signs could be openly displayed without reprimand, but his thoughts were interrupted by a loud crashing sound and screams of pain from the doorway a little past the desk.

With one hand gripping tightly to the sword at his waist, the huntsman rushed through to a back room he’d become incredibly familiar with over the years, and he froze at the sight before him.

The girl he’d been training for the past several years, Cinder Fall, was in a crumpled heap on the ground, her voice straining as her body spasmed. A necklace wrapped tightly around her throat had a mechanism designed to active a lightning dust crystal hanging from the wire, a mechanism being activated without pause by the woman standing over her. Her face was sadistic, filled with rage and lined with pleasure, as pale green eyes glared down at the girl gasping for breath. Just to her side, her daughters stood staring down with equal malice for their adoptive sibling, clearly delighting in her suffering. His eyes fell to one sister, whose blonde hair fell in springy curls, and who held a sword matching the one at his waist in her hand.

All at once he understood, and with a calm and steady expression he took several steps towards the Madame who owned the establishment.

As he took his steps, the sister’s expressions turned to a mixture of shock and confusion as the huntsman Rhodes began to step towards their mother. He’d been a regular at the hotel, but his connection to Cinder was unknown to them. Coming into her periphery, Rhode’s presence too seemed to catch the Madame equally off guard, causing enough hesitation and confusion that her grip on the button loosened slightly.

Cinder wheezed, finally able to breath, and her golden eyes stared up to her savior through an endless stream of tears.

“I’ll be taking that.” Reaching forward, Rhodes gave Madame not a moment to respond as he snatched the remote control to the collar from her hand. Stepping away from her towards Cinder, he crouched down and brushed a hand through her lengthy black locks. Hair that had normally been kept in such gentle little buns had fallen across her side, and bits almost seemed singed from the prolonged exposure to active lightning dust. Shaking his head with a sigh, he reached down towards the dust crystal itself, and with his hand wrapped tightly around it crushed it to powder. He winced slightly, a brief shock from the action triggering what little power remained in the crystal, before crushing the remote still in his other hand.

“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing!?” Madame had finally broken from her shock, returning once more to the rage that she was so accustomed. Tucking the mix of brunette and gray hairs that had fallen in her sadistic streak of torture back over her ear to try and resume a more dignified state, she glared at the huntsman who had just destroyed her property.

“I’m taking this girl. She has a test to get to and I think it best we’re not late.” Cinder was still wheezing, and snapping the necklace from her neck he could see the extended exposure had burned through her aura and scarred the skin below. Cradling her limp body in his arms, Rhodes picked the girl up without bothering to look back at the Madame as he made his way to the exit.

“That  _ girl _ is-” Madame took a step forward, her anger overriding her common sense as she shouted at the huntsman.

“This  _ girl _ is no longer your concern.” Looking over his shoulder, Rhodes shot a glare into Madame’s eyes that froze her on the spot. As if she were the one being electrocuted, her muscles stiffened and her throat became tight. In that moment she found herself lacking the will to test this man before her, and instead fell silent. “I believe you have something else of mine as well.”

Turning his gaze now towards the sisters, who had taken several steps back and were cowering beside a desk, he looked to the one with curly blonde hair who still held his second blade.

“Ahh-” Stumbling with her words, the girl looked with a panic to the sister beside her, and her still frozen mother. Unsure of what to do, she jumped from her hiding place and rushed to his side, fumbling with the blade as she attempted to fit it into the empty sheath at his waist. His eyes remained fixated on her, tears started streaming down her face, and the moment the blade was properly in place he began walking once more.

“Have a good evening ladies.” With his back turned to the family that had tried so hard to break the girl in his arms, the soft smile he’d entered with returned once more as he glanced down to the teary eyed Cinder he held.

“Th-” Attempting to thank him, attempting to let him know how much this moment, the moment she’d found her freedom met, Cinder's raspy voice was met with a shake of Rhode’s head and a soft  _ shhh _ .

“Don’t strain yourself. You’ll need as much energy as you can muster for the exam.” Cinder nodded in response and squeezed her body as tightly against his as she could manage. Somewhere in the distance they could hear the chimes of a bellower ring out the midnight hour.

The remainder of that night the pair found themselves staying in a different hotel. A room rented in a building near a landing pad that frequented the academy, it was modest by Atlas standards, though still a room far more luxurious than Cinder had ever been able to sleep in before. When food was ordered, she scarfed it down almost too quickly, when drinks were ordered she wasted not a drop, and when sweets and desserts were offered she shed tears of joy with how incredible they tasted. The bliss flooding her system was almost too much, and that night she slept with a smile.

Wasting no time, lest Madame attempt to report the pair and their journey to the Academy be delayed by an investigation, Rhodes took Cinder aboard an airship towards the Academy first thing in the morning with the sole intention to register her as quickly as possible. Her eyes were glued to the window, the sparkling city of Atlas looking so beautiful from above, though her smile faltered slightly at the sight of the Glass Unicorn as they flew higher and higher.

Stepping from the ship, she was amazed at the sheer size of Atlas Academy. The entrance itself was grand and pristine, far above anything she’d ever seen before, and the entire academy seemed to rise endlessly into the clouds above. It almost made her dizzy just staring, but a gentle pat on the back by Rhodes reminded her why she was here.

Her throat had recovered from the night before, and even if her aura had restored the majority of the damage done, a thin scar was still visible across her neck. Rhodes frowned at the mark, wishing she didn't have to live with such a cruel reminder of her past, and the pair stopped just short of the entryway.

“Unfortunately Cinder, from here on this is your path to walk. However, there are some things I’d like to give you before we part ways.” Rhodes knelt down, eye level with the girl he’d grown so fond of caring for, and reaching to the sleeve of his shirt began to tear a thin strip of fabric away.

Cinder flinched at first, but she did her best to remain steady as he gently tied the fabric loosely around her neck.

“What’s this?” Unaware of her scar, Cinder lifted a hand to rub the surprisingly soft fabric between her fingers.

"Something to remember me by, and something for luck. Now then, as for the weapons you'll need..."  Drawing from their sheaths the swords he kept at his waist, Rhodes held the blades together, and with a bow of his head offered them out to his pupil.  “For the completion of your training, and to celebrate how far you’ve come, I offer you both the sword you trained with and its partner. They’ve been apart for quite a while, so I trust you’ll take care of them.” 

Glancing up from his bow, Rhodes could see Cinder’s eyes begin to well up once more with tears as she accepted the gifts. With a soft grin, he unsnapped the sheath to the set and placed it gently over the blades.

“Rhodes, I-” Before Cinder could let loose the emotions swelling inside her, Rhodes placed a gentle finger to her lips and shook his head.

“You’re going to be a Huntress Cinder; you can’t break down at every little thing, especially after all you’ve endured. This also isn’t a good-bye either, remember that too. If there’s no good-bye, then I’m not really gone, I’m just not here right now." Leaning forward, Rhodes placed a gentle kiss on Cinder’s forehead, holding her tight for just a moment before gesturing her inside. "We’ll meet again, I’m sure of it, and you can thank me once you've made this life your own.”

Cinder’s face turned towards the school, towards the enormous and intimidating steps to her future, and nodded slowly to herself.

“Tha-” Hoping to force in one more thank you, to squeeze in at least some of her feelings before he left, Cinder turned back to find that Rhodes had vanished. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern, looking back at the path they’d taken, but found no sign of him. Realizing that now there was no turning back Cinder snapped the sheath around her waist, sliding the swords to their rightful place at her side, and made her way up the steps of the academy.

Despite Rhode’s confidence in her ability to take the exam, Cinder realized the fatal flaw in their plan was that she had no idea where she was going. The school was abuzz with students, and despite the numerous glances that came her way, to the girl wearing servant’s attire with swords at her hips, not a single person came to her aid.

“Ah, excuse me…” Her voice was soft, too nervous to speak up lest she offend someone, lest she be a bother, a nuisance, or a burden. Cinder’s hands reached out with hesitation, her eyes moving between the students and the halls in hopes she might be able to figure out where to go on her own, but as the minutes ticked by her chest started to tighten as her anxiety levels rose.

“You there. Are you lost?” A voice directed at her broke her worry as she turned to see a formally dressed young girl with snowy white hair tied back in a bun with her bangs curved around her eye to follow her right cheek. Her pale blue eyes were narrow, focused, and Cinder finds herself immediately intimidated.

“I uhh-” Cinder’s mouth went dry as she hesitated to ask for aid.

“Are you a new recruit? Judging by your attire you’re neither military nor student, at least not yet?” The girl shifted her weight to one side, placing a gloved hand on her hip as her eyes gave Cinder a once over. As Cinder continued to struggle with her ability to speak, she simply nodded, and the girl gave her a gentle smile in response. “Excellent! This means we’ll be classmates. My name is Winter Schnee. Pleasure.”

“Cinder. Cinder Fall.” Still wrought with anxiety, Cinder found the smile comforting enough that she managed to get out her name.

“Fall?” Winter seemed to contemplate the last name for a moment. “I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar. Are you from Atlas, or somewhere else?”

“Mistral.” Still barely able to speak more than a single word, Cinder watched as Winter’s eyes seemed to light up.

“Fascinating! I’ve never been outside the Kingdom myself, much less my family’s home. You’ll have to tell me all about it sometime.” Winter’s smile was wide, her sudden interest in Cinder catching the girl off guard. As she gave her another once over, her eyes slowly taking in as many details as possible, she tilted her head slightly as they gazed upon the fabric tied around her neck. “Is that an injury perhaps? If you require I could take you to the infirmary to-”

Out of curiosity Winter had reached towards the fabric that Rhodes had tied around Cinder’s neck. In a moment of immediate panic, Cinder slapped her hand away as her body began to shake. Several nearby students paused to watch the incident, whispers spreading between them, before they continued on their way. Winter herself was in shock by the response as well, but as she looked at the sheer terror in Cinder’s eyes her intuition gave her a guess as to the trigger.

“Was it your parents?” The eagerness in Winter’s voice had vanished entirely, a shaky whisper barely audible to Cinder snapping her from her traumatic episode. Winter’s eyes had fallen to the floor, her fists clenched at her sides.

“My step mother…” With an equally low speaking voice, Cinder realized why Rhodes had placed the cloth around her neck. That final incident the night before, the endless exposure to the dust had torn through her aura and permanently scarred her throat. She lifted a hand, gently pinched a portion of the fabric and lowered it enough for Winter to confirm her suspicions.

“I’m sorry. I know what a neglectful and abusive family can be like…” Winter’s eyes rested on Cinder’s neck, her brow furrowing in a mixture of emotions. “May I?”

Winter had once again extended her hand outwards, her index finger steadily approaching Cinder’s neck, and with a gulp she gave a hesitant nod. As her heart pounded in her chest she felt like she was about to begin hyperventilating, but the sudden cool contact of Winter’s finger on her neck provided a surprising sense of calm. The tip of the finger gently traced the visible line around her throat, before she pulled her hand away with a heavy sigh.

“Is it ugly?” Cinder hadn’t yet seen the damage that had been inflicted on her, she could only guess at how she looked by the expression Winter was wearing.

“Its history maybe, but nothing more.” As Cinder lifted the fabric up once again, doing her best to position it to how it had been, Winter let out another heavy sigh. “I won’t ask for all the details unless you’re willing to share them, but I think I get the general sense. The best advice I can give though: don’t let this be a way to let your abusers keep their hold over you. The collar or choker, whatever caused that scar is no longer around your neck, it can no longer cause you harm. We’re here with a purpose, and it’s the actions we choose to take that define us, not the actions others have taken for or on us. Not the families we left behind.”

Cinder could see a look come over Winter, a look she’d seen herself wearing in the mirror on more than one occasion. It felt strange, that someone that looked as prestigious as Winter had an understanding of what she’d gone through, and even more surprising to her was the compassion being provided.

“Thank you…” Cinder fought back tears, remembering what Rhodes had said, and instead smiled as brightly as she could at potentially the first friend she’d ever had.

“Of course.” Standing upright once more, Winter resumed the more confident and composed version of herself that Cinder had seen when they’d first started the conversation. Still smiling however, she gestured inwards to the halls of the school. “Now then, won’t you join me in taking our first steps towards a better future?”

“I will.” Cinder nodded, feeling that for the first time in her life, that she could be happy. Winter turned, taking Cinder deeper into the halls of Atlas Academy, where the pair's future awaited.

_ Thank you Rhodes. Because of you, I am everything. _


End file.
